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Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Foggy - 04-23-2018

Light fixtures are rated for maximum wattage based on the heat output of incandescent light bulbs. What size LED bulb 
heat output is equal to that  of an incandescent 100 watt, 75 watt, 60 watt, and 40 watt bulb. In other words: How bright a LED bulb can I put in place of an incandescent bulb?


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - giradman - 04-23-2018

(04-23-2018, 10:04 AM)Foggy Wrote: Light fixtures are rated for maximum wattage based on the heat output of incandescent light bulbs. What size LED bulb 
heat output is equal to that  of an incandescent 100 watt, 75 watt, 60 watt, and 40 watt bulb. In other words: How bright a LED bulb can I put in place of an incandescent bulb?

Hi Foggy - you are almost unlimited w/ LED bulbs which are usually rated by wattage and lumens - check this CNET Article for a thorough explanation and the chart below from the same link - throughout my house I've replaced nearly all my lights w/ LED equivalents, e.g. the 6 in my den ceiling now consume about the same wattage as one of the old incandescent ones!

In my basement shop, I have all LEDs in the ceiling fixtures (except for one 2 bulb fluorescent fixture over my oldest shop bench) - these are at least 100 to 150W LEDs - could go even higher as implied in the chart below.  Dave
Smile
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RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - jlanciani - 04-23-2018

(04-23-2018, 10:04 AM)Foggy Wrote: Light fixtures are rated for maximum wattage based on the heat output of incandescent light bulbs. What size LED bulb 
heat output is equal to that  of an incandescent 100 watt, 75 watt, 60 watt, and 40 watt bulb. In other words: How bright a LED bulb can I put in place of an incandescent bulb?

In terms of heat, a watt is a watt. If the fixture is rated for 100 watts that's what size lamp you can install (100 watts actual, not 100 watts equivalent). Realistically, any LED that fits will be fine.


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - TDKPE - 04-23-2018

Just one caveat to all of the above - some LED units don't like heat,* like many compact fluorescent bulbs, so do be aware that sticking a 500W equivalent into a non-vented recessed can with cover lens may cause excessive temperatures in the LED bulb, while being far from excessive for the can.  

*Or more like, the enemy of most electronics is excessive temperatures, but what is considered excessive will vary among devices.  But you get the idea.


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Cooler - 04-23-2018

It is not clear to me if you are referring to the actual temperature of the fixture or the color temperature of the light.


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Roly - 04-23-2018

(04-23-2018, 10:49 AM)Cooler Wrote: It is not clear to me if you are referring to the actual temperature of the fixture or the color temperature of the light.

Actual temperature of fixture.  As said the max wattage is the heat that is safe for the fixture and incandescent lamp. A incandescent lamp is made to operate hot, a cfl or led cannot stand that amount of heat. Roly


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Robert Adams - 04-23-2018

Just beware that the belief is that leds don't produce heat. Which is incorrect. They don't produce the infrared heat that regular bulbs do. But they do produce quite a bit of heat that has to be conducted away with a heat sink and the powersupply create heat as well. 

     Led bulbs will never last their rated life. They will fail not because of the led but because the capacitor in the power supply will fail and many led bulbs use garbage capacitors.


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Foggy - 04-23-2018

So... Is a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent bulb in the number of lumens produced [brightness] or in the amount of heat produced?


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - Foggy - 04-23-2018

Another way of asking: how bright of a LED bulb can I put in a fixture rated 40 watt incandescent without cooking the wires? Or: How hot does a Led bulb get relative to its wattage or lumens?


RE: Heat equivalent of Led bulbs? - giradman - 04-23-2018

(04-23-2018, 02:06 PM)Foggy Wrote: So... Is a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb equivalent to a 100 watt incandescent bulb in the number of lumens produced [brightness] or in the amount of heat produced?

Well, look at the chart that I posted, a 100W incandescent  produces 1600 lumens - a LED bulb that puts out the same amount of light (i.e. brightness) consumes only 16-20W - LED lamps are much cooler although the heat issues discussed are important - in my basement & garage, I have a half dozen LED bulbs from Rockler - 2 have reflectors & 4 do not, but all have 'heat sinks' (see pic below and check link) - I have the 2400+ lumen ones (150W incandescent equivalent) - they also offer the same bulbs @ 4400 lumens.  Dave
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